ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope
2018 ESC Guidelines for the diagnosis and management of syncope
The document aims to be patient-orientated and focused on therapy, and to reduce the risk of recurrence and the life-threatening consequences of syncope recurrence. For this purpose, even in the absence of strong evidence from trials, we give as much advice as possible on the most appropriate therapy based on the practical expertise of the members of the Task Force (‘Our patients seek solutions, not only explanations’). When possible, we provide therapeutic and decision-making algorithms.
Finally, we recognize that one major challenge in syncope management is the reduction of inappropriate admissions and inappropriate use of tests while maintaining the safety of the patient. We give strong focus to pathways and organizational issues (‘We have the knowledge; we need to apply it’). In particular, we propose a care pathway for the management of patients with TLOC from their arrival in the emergency department (ED), and give practical instructions on how to set up outpatient syncope clinics (syncope units) aimed at reducing hospitalization, under- and misdiagnoses, and costs.